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Kai Kamaka III never imagined that he would be cornering at UFC 303. After a grueling fight in South Dakota for the PFL on Friday night, where he secured a decision victory over Pedro Carvalho to advance to the playoffs, the Hawaiian fighter boarded a plane back to Las Vegas on Saturday morning. He anticipated a relaxing day at home with his family, watching UFC 303 from the comfort of his living room.
However, Kamaka's day took an unexpected turn while he was outside by the pool with his children. He noticed a couple of missed calls from Eric Nicksick, followed by a text message urging him to call back immediately. Nicksick, the renowned coach, had an urgent request for Kamaka: he needed him to corner Dan Ige for a last-minute fight.
"The fights start at 3, and I’m not even really watching the fights because I just got to my kids. I had just gotten home from my fight, and they were swimming in the pool and spending time with them, and checking on the fights. I checked my phone and had two missed calls from Eric Nicksick, and I’m thinking we just got back, everyone is going to their families, I know he was going to the arena to corner Roman. Like why the f**k is he calling me. Then, I had a text message, said call me ASAP. I called him and he told me the situation, and he said we may have to go,” Kamaka recounted
Rushing to the arena, Kamaka encountered more chaos. At the security checkpoint, Dan Ige, who was driving, fumbled for an explanation until Ali Abdelaziz, their manager, intervened. "Brother, we don’t have much time," Ali said as UFC personnel hurried them through security.
Once inside, the frenzy continued.
"They start filming us walking in and that is just getting there. We started walking in and he has to go weigh in. Dan didn’t even know he had to weigh in; he just told them he was 165. He didn’t read the contract but luckily he was like 164.5. He was still on weight," Kamaka explained.
With the weigh-in completed and the fight confirmed, Kamaka and the team sprang into action. One person started watching a tape on Ige's opponent, Diego Lopes, while the others helped Ige warm up. They had no time to train specifically for Lopes, focusing instead on keeping Ige loose and ready.
Although Ige ultimately lost a decision to Lopes, Kamaka felt a deep sense of pride in his fellow Hawaiian's performance.
"Dan was dictating the fight, he wasn’t winning the fight, but he was trying to create the action. He didn’t want to go in there and just hold Diego down. He came to fight. He wanted to deliver to the crowd, but he also wanted to win," Kamaka concluded.
Despite the whirlwind of events and the loss, the experience showcased Kamaka's dedication and adaptability, reinforcing the strong bond within their team.
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